diff --git a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_buffer_worker.erl b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_buffer_worker.erl
index 63a402daa..3d08f0289 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_buffer_worker.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_buffer_worker.erl
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ blocked(cast, flush, Data) ->
     resume_from_blocked(Data);
 blocked(state_timeout, unblock, St) ->
     resume_from_blocked(St);
-blocked(info, ?SEND_REQ(_ReqFrom, {query, _Request, _Opts}) = Request0, Data0) ->
+blocked(info, ?SEND_REQ(_ReqFrom, _Req) = Request0, Data0) ->
     Data = collect_and_enqueue_query_requests(Request0, Data0),
     {keep_state, Data};
 blocked(info, {flush, _Ref}, _Data) ->
@@ -437,9 +437,25 @@ collect_and_enqueue_query_requests(Request0, Data0) ->
             end,
             Requests
         ),
-    {_Overflow, NewQ} = append_queue(Id, Index, Q, Queries),
+    {Overflown, NewQ} = append_queue(Id, Index, Q, Queries),
+    ok = reply_overflown(Overflown),
     Data0#{queue := NewQ}.
 
+reply_overflown([]) ->
+    ok;
+reply_overflown([?QUERY(From, _Req, _HasBeenSent, _ExpireAt) | More]) ->
+    do_reply_caller(From, {error, buffer_overflow}),
+    reply_overflown(More).
+
+do_reply_caller(undefined, _Result) ->
+    ok;
+do_reply_caller({F, Args}, Result) when is_function(F) ->
+    _ = erlang:apply(F, Args ++ [Result]),
+    ok;
+do_reply_caller(From, Result) ->
+    _ = gen_statem:reply(From, Result),
+    ok.
+
 maybe_flush(Data0) ->
     #{
         batch_size := BatchSize,
@@ -1082,18 +1098,19 @@ queue_item_marshaller(Item) ->
 estimate_size(QItem) ->
     erlang:external_size(QItem).
 
--spec append_queue(id(), index(), replayq:q(), [queue_query()]) -> replayq:q().
+-spec append_queue(id(), index(), replayq:q(), [queue_query()]) ->
+    {[queue_query()], replayq:q()}.
 append_queue(Id, Index, Q, Queries) ->
     %% this assertion is to ensure that we never append a raw binary
     %% because the marshaller will get lost.
     false = is_binary(hd(Queries)),
     Q0 = replayq:append(Q, Queries),
-    {Overflow, Q2} =
+    {Overflown, Q2} =
         case replayq:overflow(Q0) of
-            OverflowBytes when OverflowBytes =< 0 ->
+            OverflownBytes when OverflownBytes =< 0 ->
                 {[], Q0};
-            OverflowBytes ->
-                PopOpts = #{bytes_limit => OverflowBytes, count_limit => 999999999},
+            OverflownBytes ->
+                PopOpts = #{bytes_limit => OverflownBytes, count_limit => 999999999},
                 {Q1, QAckRef, Items2} = replayq:pop(Q0, PopOpts),
                 ok = replayq:ack(Q1, QAckRef),
                 Dropped = length(Items2),
@@ -1112,10 +1129,10 @@ append_queue(Id, Index, Q, Queries) ->
             id => Id,
             items => Queries,
             queue_count => queue_count(Q2),
-            overflow => length(Overflow)
+            overflown => length(Overflown)
         }
     ),
-    {Overflow, Q2}.
+    {Overflown, Q2}.
 
 %%==============================================================================
 %% the inflight queue for async query
diff --git a/apps/emqx_resource/test/emqx_resource_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_resource/test/emqx_resource_SUITE.erl
index 9b2af74f6..34a92a5a2 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_resource/test/emqx_resource_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_resource/test/emqx_resource_SUITE.erl
@@ -1226,8 +1226,8 @@ t_always_overflow(_Config) ->
             Payload = binary:copy(<<"a">>, 100),
             %% since it's sync and it should never send a request, this
             %% errors with `timeout'.
-            ?assertError(
-                timeout,
+            ?assertEqual(
+                {error, buffer_overflow},
                 emqx_resource:query(
                     ?ID,
                     {big_payload, Payload},